Back in late 2024, Dave and I had seen an advertisement for a James Bond Concert Spectacular to be held at the Stockport Plaza. When we looked into it, the concert was to be held on the same weekend as Father’s Day. We knew from previous years that many members have commitments on the Sunday and are unavailable for diving, so getting together for a social seemed like a great alternative.

We approached Andy with our idea. Andy is a member of the Social Committee and also volunteers at the Stockport Plaza, so was our inside man for all the event information and organisation!  A quick email out to the Club and post on the WhatsApp group, and in no time at all we had 8 Club members keen to join us, bringing the group to 10.

We meet Saturday evening for an early dinner at Zizzi’s Italian. The extensive menu had something to satisfy all tastes and everyone tucked into their meals with words of praise for the chef. I thought I had allowed plenty of time to chat, catch up, and eat, but most of us had to depart with longing looks at Andy and Lauren’s delicious desserts that we hadn’t quite enough time to fit in at the far end of the table. Next time!

The Stockport Plaza was buzzing as we arrived. Some audience members had gone all out, with a number of tuxedo clad men mixing in with the crowd. With lots of happy chatter and fond memories of the Club’s own ‘Diamonds are Forever’ themed evening back in 2022 to celebrate our 60th anniversary, the group made our way up the dress circle for the best seats in the house – thanks Andy! Front-row and centre, we were perfectly positioned with an unobstructed view of the stage.

With the stage decorated with two large golden guns and lighting mimicking Bond’s trademark gun barrel sequence, the 13-piece band kicked off the night on a high and maintained the energy to the end.

From the James Bond Theme (from Dr. No), From Russia With Love, to We Have All The Time In The World (from On Her Majesty’s Secret Service) and the Writing’s On The Wall (from Spectre), and so many more memorable songs, the evening flew by in the blink of an eye. It was amazing how many recognisable songs there are across the Bond films, and how well they come together when assembled in a continuous set list. In between songs, Caroline Bliss (Moneypenny in The Living Daylights and Licence To Kill) took to the stage to share insights into the filming process and share her personal experiences from performing in the shows and interacting with some of the stars.

All in all, it was a most enjoyable evening. Good company, good food, and some great music to top the night off!

Thank you to everyone that joined us, and to Andy for his assistance in organising the night. 

Trip Report – Clemmie